Needle-actuating mechanism for sewing-machines.



PATENTED DEC. 31', 1907.

W. N. PARKHS.

,NEEDLE A'GTUATING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 2. 1903.

4 SHEETS'$HEET 1.

PATENTED DEC. 81, 1907.

W. N. PARKES. 4

NISM FOR SEWING MLWHINFufa'.

APPLICATION FILED M12. 1903.

NEEDLE ACTUATING MEGHA A BHEET8-SHEET 2.

. WHNESSES:

R 0 T N E V W WM, TORNJ PATENTED DEC. 31, 1907.

W. N. PARKES. NEEDLE AOTUATING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV 2. 1903.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

SNVENTOR.

No. 875,620. PATENTED 1330.31, 1967..

' w. N. ?ARKES.

NEEDLE 'AQ TTUATING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED 30V. 8. 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- ATTO BY flaw 1%. Qz M, RE 7 WILLIAM N. PARKES, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

NEEDLE-ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Dec. 31, 1907.

Application filed November 2, 1903. Serial No 179,470,

To all whom "it mcy concern:

Be it known that 1., WILLIAM N. PARKES, a citizen of the United States, residing in Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful 11nprovement in. Needlc-Actuating Mechanism for Sewing-.\lachines, of which the following is a description.

This invention is primarily intended .i'or use in sewing machines.

()ne of its main objects is toprovide improved means lor converting a rotary move ment into an oscillatory or reciprocating movement that may beused in connection with various parts of a sewing machine that it is desired to reciprocate, oscillate or vibrate.

In zigzag machines the needle is moved laterally at right angles to the plane in which the driving shaft revolves, once to each vertical reciprocation of said needle, and this lateral movement. takes place during the time the needle is disengaged from the work. It will thus be understood that each lateral movement of the needle takes place during less than a cycle of movement of the driving shaft which revolves once to each vertical reciprocation of the needle. in practice this lateral movement takes place during about one half of a rotation of said driving shaft. Fronrthis it is seen that the revolving movement of the driving shaft in these machines,

is not all converted into a lateral movement at the needle, but that only about. one half of this movement is so converted. it has'been common to convert the rotary movement of the driving shaft into an oscillating lever, by means of a rotary peripheral cam acting between a bifurcated end of said lever, and then transmitting the movement of the lever to the needle. 'lhis is objectionable however because of the dill'crence in speed of the lateral movement of said lever in one direction relative to its speed of movement in the other direction, and the difference in time it takes to make said movement in one direction rela tive to the other direction. In these machines the needle is moved laterally while it is disengaged from the work, and therefore the time in which this lateral movement can be made is limited. In highspeed machines the needle is given a shorter reciprocating movement vertically than in the old style slow speed machines, therefore in said high speed machines the needle is disengaged from the work a shorter time relative to its complete movement than it is .in said old style machines. And because of this the time in which the needle can be'moved laterally in these high speed machines is more limited, than in said old style machines. 7

It is very desirable to move the needle,

laterally from the movement of a peripheral cam, and one of the main objects of my invention is to' provide. means in combination with such a cam whereby the said needle will be moved laterally in either direction at the same speed and in the same length of time. And it is also an object of this invention to provide improved means for moving a needle or needles laterallv, and to so construct said means that it Will be convenient to move other parts ofa nachine from the same in combination with a laterally moving needle.

Other objects of my invention will be disclosed during the course of this description and with the same in view, together with those above detailed, my invention consists in the elements, features and combinations hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a machine with my mechanism applied. thereto, a portion of the bed-plate being broken away to disclose the looper mechanism; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of a machine showing my invention applied thereto; Fig. 3 is a top plan view; Fig. 4. is a transverse sectional view on the line L--4- of Fig. 2, the arrow on the latter ligure indicating the line of sight; Fig. 5 is a detail showing in elevation a portion of the needle-bar actuating mechanism; Fig. 6 detail similar to Fig. 5, a portion being in section to illustrate the means for taking up wear and compensatil'lg for lost motion; Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a portion of the overhanging arm of the machine, illustrating another form of mechanism for actuating the needlebar; and Fig. 8 is a section on the line 88 of Fig. 7.'

1n the drawings, 1 represents the frame of the machine, 2 the bed-plate, 3 the head, 4 the haml-wheel and driving pulley, 5 the needle-bar which reciprocates vertically in the head of the machine, and has imparted thereto oscillating or vibrating movement, preferably on its axis through the medium of a vibrating arm or frame 6, suitably connected to the needle-bar and actuated by means of the pitman 7, connected by a universal joint 8, to the arm 6.

v The needle is indicated by 9, the presserreduced portion l 31, said bracket ticnal means for securing the p preferably chain j and sprocket mechanism 15, actuates the i.

looper driving-shaft to im ment to the gearing 13. suitable take-up j 16, and tension. 17,, are employed. These j several )arts and mechanisms have been briefly escribcd and. only partially illusj trated because the same form no part of my 1 present invention, and may be in all respects 1 substantially identical with like elements or 1 arts shown in my application filed Oct. 26, j erial Number 17 8,629.

The driving-shaft 14, has adjustably attached thereto a bevel-gear 18, by means of a screw 19, tapped therethroughandengaging the shaft. The bevel-gear 18, meshes with the bevel-gear 20, supported in the overhanging arm of the machine, said gear being twice the diameter of the gear18, so that the gear 20, turns once to two rotations of the gear 18. The gear 20, has an extended hub 21, which is adapted to rotate in a bear-' ing 22', attached to the overhanging arm of the .machine by means of the screws 23 tap ed through the flange 24, and through sai arm. A thin plate 25, is attached to l the end of the hub 21, by means of the screw 26. To the hub 21, is attached a cam 27, by means of a screw 28, passin through said cam to plate 25, and into the nrb 21. A reduced portion 29 of the hub 21, passes through the plate 25 and into the cam, said having the function of properly locating the cam on the hub and holding it rigidly and preventing it from any movement with respect to the hub. The reduced portion 29, and the screw 28, rovide addiate 25, to the hub 21, for retaining the latter in its bearing 22. The said reduced ortion 29 is located central with respect to the hub 21 of the gear, and said portion also serves as a means for properly locating the cam 27, and it is to be noted that this cam revolves about the axis of the gear 20 which is the center of said reduced ortion 29.

Gn t e overhanging arm of the machine is attached a bracket 30,. by means of screws having ournaled therein two short shafts 32 and 33. To the rear end )art rotary move- 1 of the said shafts depending arms 34 and 35 are res ectively, attached by means of screws 34 an 35 respectively tapped through said arms and into said shaft. The shaft 32-, is held from longitudinal movement in its bearing by means of the said arm 34, and a collar 36, secured to its opposite end by means of a screw 36,.tapped therethrough and into the The shaft 33, is held from longitudinal movement in its hearing by means of the arm 35, and. the segment arm 37, secured to its opposite end by means of the screw 37 tapped through said arm and into said shaft.- The segment arm 37 is provided with a way 33 in which is secured lIl a usual manner a bearing bolt 39 on which is located a usual bushing (not shown) and on said bushing is pivoted an end. 7 of the pitman 7. A usual clamping nut 40 engages said usual bushing and thereby in a usual manner adjustably clamps the bolt 39 in said way 38. The way 38 extends over the axis of the shaft 33 to a sufficient extent for the end of 7 to be located directly over said axis and lateral movement of the pitman 7 and the needle are thereby in a usual manner suspended. The portion 7 of the pitinan, is adjustable on the portion 7, by means of a clamping-loop 7 encircling the inner end passing through the portion 7 and engaged by the clamping-nut 7 which binds adjustably the two parts of the pitman together.

A yoke 41, having a Way 42 formed in it, embraces the cam 27, carried by the gear 20. One wall 43, of the yoke is, preferably,in clined and provided with 'a groove in which runs the rib of an adjustable wedge 44, said wedge forming the hearing or engaging portion for the cam 27 To secure accurate engagement of the walls of the yoke with the cam 27, or for taking up wear, or for com pensating for lost motion, the wedge 44, is rendered adjustable by means of screws 45,

of the portion 7 and i which pass through elongated slots 46, into wall 43, and enter the wedge 44. By this means the wedge may be adjusted longitudinally and properly clamped and held after such adjustment. The yoke is provided at opposite ends with bifurcated lugs 47 provided with apertures through which short pins 48, pass for the purpose .of pivotally connecting the yoke, respectively to the arms 34 and 35. Said arms extend between the prongs-of the respective lugs 47, and screws 49 rigidly secure the pins 48,'to said arms. Thus the pins journal in the bifurcated lugs and are prevented from esca ing therefrom. The connection just describer as will .be obviousupon reference to Figs. 2, 5 and6, will. keep the walls of the way 42, in parallel vertical planes throughout the'lateral movements of the yoke 41, and will impart to the arms 34 and 35, lateral movements of equal extent and of equal speed in both directions, and

will also keep said arms in parallelism.

From the construction just described, it will be clear that in each rotation of the driving-shaft 1 4, the'gear 20 and the cam 27, will be given a half rotation, resulting in a lateral movement, in one or'the other direction, of the *okc 41, which in turn imparts movement to parallel arms 34 and 35, the arm 37', the pitman 7, and the needle-bar 5, Two rotations of the 1nain'shaft 14, will give a complete rotation to the gear 20 and cam 27, resulting in a complete reciprocation or vibration of the train of mechanism extending from said corn and including the needle-bar. The three-cornered or triangular cam 27, is so proportioned that during subsnntiaily the iirst quarter of i arms 3 35 and LT laterally in one direction, and then during substantially the second quarter of its movement said arms are at rest, then during sulmtmitially the third quarter of its movement the said arms are moved back to their initial position. after which during the= fourth quarter of its movement the said arms e in; 'i. at rest. The cam is, of course timed, that it moves the said arms intern iy win-n the needles disl engaged from the work.

In the operation of the machine disclosed the needle-is in one of its extreme lateral positions when the cam 27 and the parts that are in engagement with it are in herein the position shown in Fig. 5, and is in its in other extreme lateral position when the said arts are in the osition shown in Big. 6. and

in the movement of these par s from one to";

the other of these positions the said cam makes just one half of a revolution. During the time the said cam 27 is turned from the position it is shown. in, in said Fig. 5, to the position it is in, in Fig. 6, the driving shaft 14 of the machine makes one complete rotation, and in the movement Uf JlIG parts back again to the position shown in said Fig. 5, the said driving shaft makes another complete rotation, and thus it is understood that there are two complete vertical reci rocations of the needle to one complete ateral reciprocation of the same. At the time the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 5 or 6, no lateral movement of the needle is taking place, and the periphery of the cam 27 is so constructed that'no lateral movement of theneedle takes place during one quarter turn of said cam, and in the position shown in Figs. 5 or 6, said cam has moved one half of this quarter turn, or one eighth of its com plete rotation. Just'as the said cam completes another oneeighth of its forward movement from either one of the positions shown in these figures, the functional part tion it is shown in, in Fig. 6.

of the periphery of the same comes into engagement with one of the jaws of the yoke 41, and lateral movement of the parts actuated by'said cam commences. Viewing Fig. 5 for example, it will be obvious that as the cam swings around its axis at 29, and its functional part engages the adjustable jaw 44 its )ower will be exerted on said jaw and the yolre will be thereby mo vcd to the posi- From theconstruction shown in these twoiigures, it is obvious that the movements of the arms 34 and 35 will be the same in either direction, and from the connection between one of these arms and the needle, it is seen that the needle will be moved laterally at the same speed in either direction.

l movement i moves the l It will be understood from the foregoing that the revolving movement of the driving shaft 1 4 is reduced by means of the gears 18 and 20, so that the ratio between the shaft 14 and the gear 20 two to one. The yoke 41, and the pivoted arms 34 and 35, perform the ,function of transmitting the action of the cam 27 to the'arm 37 so that said arm moves in either direction at a uniform speed, and from the same the needle is moved laterally at a uniform speed in either direction. And it is noted that there are four sections to the periphery of this cam 27, two of these sections are shown in engagement with the jaws of the yoke 41, in Figs. 5 and 6, and the sections not in engagement with said jaws in said figures are the other two sections, and these sections that are in engagement with said jaws in these figures, are the sections that do not transmit any movement. And these opposite sections that are shown in engagement with said aws in said figures are of such an extent that the cam turns just one quarter around while they are in engagement with the jaws without transmitting any movement, then during the next quarter turn the full movement is transmitted. it is thus seen that the cam during each alternate quarter turn transmits a lateral movement to the yoke 41, and from the movement of this yoke a lateral movement is transmitted to thc ncedlo. 'Ihc cam is so constructed that its periphery is always in engagement with the jaws of the yoke, and the adjustable part 44, serves as a means for always maintaining a fit between the jaws and the cam.

' .From the movement illustrated as having taken place in the parts, from Figs. 5 to 6, it will be clearly understood that the face of the jaws or walls of'the yoke, which the periphery of the cam 27 engages, will always remain in the same plane in any of the lateral positions to whiclrsaid yoke may be.

moved, and in view of this it is clear that the.

cam will move said yokc to and fro at a unii'orm speed in either direction.

the some to take up wear, will not change its face relative to the face of the opposite aw, or in other words, the laces of the aws And the part v 44 is so constructed that the adjustment-of that the cam 27 engages will remain parallel with respect to each other under any adjustment of the part 44. This will be clearly seen by referring to Figs. 5 and 6. And it will also be understood from said figures,

that the pivots 48 on which the yoke 41 is mounted are each oscillated bodily and separately in separate arcs of circles, around the. shafts 32 and 33, and the yoke 41 is oscillated bodily in an arc of a circle, the center of which is intermediate tho'axis ol' the said shafts 32 and 33,:u1d the arm 37 is oscillated in an 'arc of a circle about the axis of the shaft 33.

The means by which a revolving move ment of a shaft is converted into a positive oscillatory movement, of a uniform speed in either direction by a peripheral cam, has now been described. It is clear that the means employed for this purpose may be modified without departing from the spirit of my invention, and it is therefore to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to theexact construction of means herein disclosed. The ratio of two to one speed between the driving shaft 14 and the cam is not to be understood as an essential element. This ratio is herein used for the purpose of transmitting one lateral movement to the needle to each ver- 1 tical reciprocating movement of the same.

observed that these shafts may It is'obvious that for other purposes different ratios of speed between the driving shaft and cam mi ht be desirable, and it is to be observed t iat two shafts are oscillated namely shafts 33 and 32, and that while the oscilla-' tion of shaft 33 is only used' for transmitting1 lateral movement to the needle, both of sai shafts serve as pivots for the arms on which the part 41 is pivoted. And it is also to be be used to, move other parts than those herein shown, as is illustrated in my eo-pending application Serial No. 360,900, filed March 6,1907, in the said application the oscillating movement of one of these shafts is used for moving the needle laterally, and the oscillating movement of the other of-said shaft is used for the purpose of operating a'ratchet mechanism. In Figs. 7 and 8 I have illustrated a modified form of my invention, and therein the driving-shaft 14, the ears 18 and 20 and the other parts up to and including the cam 27, are substantially the same as the first form of my invention described. In the form of Figs. 7 and 8, however, the yoke 41 is arranged on the front of the overhanging arm instead of the rear and is connected to the segment-arm 37 by means of the 7 between the arms bifurcated lug 50, between the prongs of which a lug 51 on the segment-arm 37 ex tends, said lug 51 being secured in the bifurcated lug 50 by means of the pin 52 which journals in said lug, and is fixed by means of lhe other end of the yoke 41, is-provided with the lug 54, to which is pivotally held the block 55 by means of the-scr'ew-bolt 56, held in place by the nut 57. Adjacent the lug 54 of the yoke 41 the arm.

of the machine is provided with a way 58,

within which is secured the guide 59, by means of the screw 60, tapped through the guide and into the arm. The guide 59 is provided with the extending arms 61. constituting a way or guide for the block 55, to slide and pivot The yoke 41 ,is arranged secured to the hub 21, thus preventing the same from having lateral movement or wabbling in its action.

shown 1n 61 and'the plate 25,

' erally, means The cam 27 in the above described modified form of my invention is revolved, as is evident, the same as in the form firstd escribed, but by reason of the change in yoke the transmission of movement will not be just the same. By referring to'Fig. -7 it will be observed that as the lever 37 is vibrated laterally, an arc of a circle about its pivot, and therefore I the end of the connection 41 that is pivoted to said lever will be raised and lowered as said lever is oscillated. In this modification of my invention the pin 52 serves as one of the pivots of the part 41, and the bolt 56 as the other pivot for said part, so it will be observed that this yoke 41 is also pivoted on either side in this modified form, but instead of the lug 54 being pivoted on the end ofxa depending arm, it is pivoted on a sliding block." It is obvious that a depend ing arm, as shown in the first form described. would serve as a pivot for the lu 54, and that said arm would cooperatewit the arm 37 and thus the yoke 41 would be pivoted on two arms substantially the same as in the said first form.

ends ,oftwo arms, and a third arm provided for transmitting the movement to the needle. By this construction the arm on which said yoke is pivoted may be both constructed the same, and more suitable for the function of carrying the yoke. And by having the arm 37 separately from the other arms, it toomay be made simpler, and more suitable for its function. Pivoting the yoke on the ends of two arms as in Fig. '2, is better than pivoting the same on an arm and a sliding pivot as shown in Fig. 7, and an arm is obviously more simple and less expensive than the sliding pivot shown in said Fi 7.' In conthe mounting of the 1 "but in practice I prefer the first form with the yoke 41. pivoted on the nection with the said modified form of my invention it is noted that the objectof illustrating and describing the same is for the purpose of showing that changes may be made in said invention without departing from the spirit of the same. The first'form of the invention described is the preferred form, but it is to beiunderstood that a patent is desired that will cover both of these forms. Having'thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patout is:

1. A sewing machine comprising a reciprocating needle adapted to be moved laterally, means for moving said needle laterally comprising apart that is mounted'on a plurality of pivots carried by a plurality of pivoted membersthat are mounted on independent axes, and a cam adapted to oscillate said part.

2. A sewin rocating neede adapted to be comprising a part that is mounted on two machine comprising a recip moved latfor moving said needle laterally pivots and intermediate the same, said pivots carried by two pivoted members that are mounted on independent axes, a connection between said part and the aforesaid needle, and means for oscillating said part.

3. In a sewing machine having a stitch forming mechanism comprising a needle adapted to be moved laterally, two arms separately pivoted to oscillate in a vertical plane about separate axes which run in a horizontal plane, a part comprising two bear ings or jaws running parallel to each other, said part pivoted to the extending ends of the said arms and intermediate the same, an operating cam in engagement with the said jaws and between the same, and means intermediate one of the said elements and the aforesaid needle whereby the needle is moved laterally.

4. In combination, a reciprocating needlebar, a rotating driving-device, and means for converting the rotary movement of said device into reciprocating movement for said bar, including a yoke for embracing the driving-device, two pivotally supported arms ivotally connected to the yoke, and means for compensating for wear between the rotary device and the yoke.

5. In combination, a rotary driving-shaft; a circularly moving actuating device; means between the latter and said shaft for imparting the circular movement; a vibrating needle-bar and means between the actuating device and said bar for transmitting movement from one to the other, including a plurality of pivotally supported arms, means for maintaining the arms in parallelism, means for connecting the latter means with the actuatin device, and means connecting the arms Wit 1 the vibrating bar.

6. A sewingmachine comprising a pivoted arm, a second pivoted arm, a part pivoted on the'ends of said arms and disposed intermediate the same, a cam and means for operating it, said cam adapted to oscillate said pivoted )art, a needle adapted to be moved laterally, and a connection between said needle and one of saidpivotedarms.

7. A sewing-machine comprising a ver tically reciprocating needle adapted to be moved laterally, a-driving shaft and means for revolving it, a peripheral cam, means intermediate said shaft and said cam where- I WILLIAM N PARKES.

Witnesses:

CHAS. M00. CHAPMAN, LL HERsKovrrz. 

